Nairobi — Azimio La Umoja One Kenya Leader Raila Odinga has castigated the Kisumu County Administration for calling off protests in the county and instead asking supporters to converge in Nairobi.
Speaking during a meeting with the Catholic Bishops, Odinga insisted that the opposition demonstrations will go on as planned in Kisumu City asking the county governor Anyang Nyong'o to recant his statements of calling off the demonstrations in the county.
Kisumu Governor Anyang Nyong'o on Wednesday sent a circular suspending any form of demonstration in Kisumu. He said he took the move after consultation with the Azimio Coalition.
"There was an announcement today by the governor of Kisumu about the demonstrations in Kisumu. We have talked to him and he actually asked us to announce that they will be demonstration in Kisumu tomorrow just like the rest of the country," he said.
The Opposition Leader asserted that the Azimio La Umoja Coalition demonstrations pushing for the lowering of the high cost of living and election reforms will be peaceful warning those attempting to characterize them with chaos.
"Our demonstrations will be peaceful and we are asking those who are trying to disrupt them to desist in the name of our Lord,"Odinga said.
Nairobi Governor Johnson Sakaja and his counterpart from Kisumu had engaged in a war of words on the move by Nyongo to call off the protests in Kisumu and instead ask supporters to converge in Nairobi.
This follows a declaration by his Kisumu Counterpart Anyang Nyong'o banning protests in the lakeside city and telling Azimio supporters to converge in Nairobi.
Sign up for free AllAfrica Newsletters
Get the latest in African news delivered straight to your inbox
In a statement, Sakaja however dismissed Nyong'o saying he will not allow him to export demos from Kisumu to the city.
"The Governor of Kisumu's idea that he can export his demonstrations to Nairobi and make our county the capital of demonstrators and associated mayhem is preposterous and totally unacceptable," he stated.
"In the spirit of devolution, I would advice the Governor of Kisumu Prof Anyang Nyong'o to keep his demonstrations to his county."
Nyong'o had stated that the decision to ban the protests come after consultations between the Azimio La Umoja Leadership and the County Executive Committee.
He, however, declared that Kisumu remains committed to pushing for the lowering of the cost of living and blocking the Kenya Kwanza regime from handpicking a partisan Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission.
Nyongo asked Kisumu residents to cooperate with law enforcement officers to maintain peace and security.
Nyong'o has been at pains whenever property is destroyed during demonstrations and on Monday led the demonstration outside the city against the wishes of the demonstrators.
